Illuminated dancing shoes

Abstract

Shoes for dancing in which the heel is made of hollow plastic and contains a battery powered flashlight for illuminating a compartment therein, having light transmitting holes in a side wall, covered with a translucent name label; and a light port at the front of the heel for energizing a bundle of light carrying optical fibers, extending ythrough and embedded in the sole via branches that end in small light emitting faces spaced around the edge of the sole; and a manual switch in the front wall of the heel for enabling an energizing circuit for the flashlight, containing a spring opened pressure switch having a switch contact-roller, the rim of which normally is slightly below the bottom of the heel, but closes the pressure switch when the shoe is stood on by the wearer, energizing the flashlight with each ta, and producing a series of flashes from the sole.

I claim: 
     
       1. An illuminated shoe comprising, in combination a heel having a cavity;   a source of light mounted in said cavity for furnishing light when energized;   energizing means connected to said source of light for furnishing electrical energy thereto;   a sole extending forwardly from said heel, said sole having an edge defining the outer perimeter thereof, said edge having at least one light emitting portion; and   at least one optical fiber embedded in said sole and having one end positioned to receive light from said source of light and a second end positioned near said light transmitting portion in said edge of said sole, whereby said light transmitting portion is illuminated when said source of light is energized.   
     
     
       2. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein said edge of said sole has a plurality of light emitting portions; and wherein said at least one optical fiber comprise a plurality of optical fibers each having one end for receiving light from said source of light and a second end positioned near one of said light emitting portions for illuminating said light emitting portion. 
     
     
       3. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sole is made of transparent plastic material. 
     
     
       4. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sole is made of translucent plastic material. 
     
     
       5. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein said heel has transverse holes for permitting the passage of light; wherein said source of light is a flashlight; and wherein said energizing means comprises a source of electrical energy and switch means interconnected between said source of electric energy and said source of light for connecting said source of energy to said source of light when closed and for disconnecting said source of energy from said light when open. 
     
     
       6. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 5, wherein said switch means comprises a switch contact roller; a vertical shaft carrying said roller at the lower end thereof;   a spring normally urging said shaft downwardly, with the roller a little below the bottom of said heel, and   inclined stationary switch contacts above said contact roller, for engagement by said contact roller, to close said switch, when sufficient pressure is applied to said roller.   
     
     
       7. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 5, wherein said switch means comprises a manufally operated switch, and motion-dependent switch means connected in series with said manually operated switch for connecting said source of light to said energizing means only when said shoe is in a predetermined position relative to the floor. 
     
     
       8. An illuminated shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein said heel has a side wall, said side wall having transverse holes extending from said cavity through said side wall for allowing the passage of light from said source of light through said side wall of said heel. 
     
     
       9. An illuminated dancing shoe as defined by claim 8, in which a nameplate of translucent plastic material is affixed to the side of said heel over said holes.